When electronic components, including semiconductor devices, are manufactured they are often tested to determine whether they operate properly. The equipment used for this testing process can include a probe system having a plurality of probes for making temporary electrical connections with the semiconductor device. Test data can then be provided through the probes to the semiconductor device, and response data generated by the semiconductor device can be provided through the probes to equipment (e.g., a test controller) configured to evaluate operation of the semiconductor device. FIG. 1A illustrates one such probe attached to a probe system 300 (which would typically include many such probes). The probe shown in FIG. 1A comprises a cantilever structure 310 containing a base 315 with a tip 320 thereon. In use, the probe system 300 is oriented over the semiconductor device 330, which can have a passivation layer 350, and then lowered so that the tip 320 contacts a terminal 340 during the testing procedure.
FIG. 1B illustrates a potential problem commonly referred to as heel strike, which generally should be avoided. To ensure that all tips 320 of all the probes (only one is shown in FIG. 1B but a probe system typically has many such probes) of probe system 300 make relatively low resistance electrical connections with terminals 340 (again only one is shown but semiconductor device 330 typically has many terminals 340), semiconductor device 330 is typically moved toward probe system 300 a particular distance past first contact between terminals 340 and tips 320. That distance is often referred to as over travel. Over travel can cause the cantilever structure 310 to bend and the base 315 to rotate and contact the passivation layer 350 (often referred to as heel strike), deteriorating the passivation layer 350 and causing problems with the testing process and potentially damaging the semiconductor device 330 and the probe system 300.